Hello, I would like to receive some advice about what you think to be the best behavior while looking for a postdoc position. I'm not considering (in this question) the opportunities one may have from direct knowledge, e.g. because they where pointed out from your advisor or in any case about positions in some nearby university where you have some contact.

What i'm trying to understand is up to which extent it may be useful making applications for a position in a completely foreign university (also possibly in a slightly different topic), and what could be expected from such an application to be taken seriously. For instance while it is often not written explicitly, for most positions the candidate is expected to have taken personal contacts with one professor that may be interested, and set up a research project together.

But this is certainly not the only matter, an I would like to hear some advice from who has some experience in this king of issues, also for what regards things which can vary a lot depending on the country (i did my Master and I am doing Ph.D. in Italy, with a short period in France). It would also be of interest collecting the things which in some countries an not regarded at all, while in others are usually taken for granted (e.g. in my country it is easily possible to end the Ph.D. with no teaching experience).